Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire which stretched from Quito to Santiago. The Incas built a huge system of roads connecting their empire referred to as the Inca Trail. All of those roads originate from Cusco. Of course when the Spanish arrived they quickly demolished the Inca city. Using the foundations and materials that they salvaged they erected the city that you can see today. Much of the Inca city still exists but has been integrated into the colonial city.

It was a beautiful day today. Quite hot out in the direct sunlight at this altitude. I joined a free walking tour which never disappoints. The guide primarily focused on the Pre-Columbian and colonial histories and we visited my sites where you could see the original Incan masonry walls with Spanish colonial buildings on top. Some of the buildings incorporated Incan doorways that were preexisting. The original roads were all laid down by the Inca. Of course the city is much larger today... and has an airport.

One of the most interesting things I learned today was that potatoes are indigenous to the Andes and were the first crops to be domesticated. The Spanish took them back to Europe in the 1500s and now they are a staple all over the world. Same is true for Quinoa.

I had to try an alpaca burger for lunch and it was quite tasty. I have not had the courage to try the roasted guinea pig.

Tomorrow I have to be up at 3:15 AM to catch my train the Machu Pichu! I'm so excited!